W-8 Form

You're probably familiar the the W-2 and the W-4, tax forms that typically come up when you work as a regular employee at a company. These documents have some lesser-known relatives that come up in more esoteric situations.

The W-8 is one of these distant relations. It's like the long-lost cousin from a foreign country who suddenly shows up at your door with the "America or burst" sign. (See: Perfect Strangers)

The W-8 deals with non-resident aliens (like from other countries, not from other planets) and foreign businesses earning income in the U.S. Basically, if you're from somewhere else and you earn money in the U.S., you'll have to fill out a W-8.